Hemp-brake



R. EADES.

HEMP BRAKE.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 26. 1918.

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R. EADES.

HEMP BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. ms.

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R. EADES.

HEMP BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2a. 1915.

fiadyai adea WIN 1cm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RODGER EADES, OF WINCHESTER, KENTUCKY.

HEMP-BRAKE.

Application filed February 26, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Roncnn Ennns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winchester, in the county of Clark and State of Kentucky have invented new and useful Improvements in Hemp-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hemp brakes, and one of the objects of the same is to provide a double machine, or, one embodying two complete brake organizations at opposite entremities operatively connected to intermediate driving mechanism and whereby the organizations may be simultaneously or individually actuated to treat hemp with advantages in the output of machines of this class and economy in the utilization of driving power. A further object of the invention is to generally improve the mechanical structure of hemp-brakes to render them portable and moreeflicient in operation as well as convenient in assemblage and adjustment to accommodate various working contingencies and the general character and kind of hemp to be treated thereby.

With these and other obj ects'in view, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be described more fully hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is'a top plan view of a machine embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the machine showing one extremity broken away and in longitudinal section. I p

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken through the central portion of the machine.

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a portion of oneend of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a detail transverse sectional view of a preferred'form of clutch used to conneflct and disconnect the beating members relatively to the driving mechanism and showing the clutch members in release or loose positions. a

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the clutch members in"engagedpositions.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the clutch on a smaller scale. a

The numeral 1 designates a bed frame mounted on bolsters 2 supporting aXles3 having-groundwheels 1 by which the machine is rendered conveniently portable. The bed frame 1 in the present instance comprises longitudinal side beams 5, end

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

Serial No. 219,268.

on opposite sides of the center, and an inter mediate floor 8 between the beams 7 for the support of a motor or engine 9 of the hydrocarbon fuel or other type adapted for the purpose and provided with a drive shaft 10 having a drive sprocket 11 thereon. Rising from the bed frame 1 adjacent to the cross beams 7 are pairs of uprights 12 connected by upper cross beams 13, and on these uprights 12 outer and intermediate longitudinal top beams 1i and 15 are securely mounted for the support of the several mechanisms which will be more fully hereinafter described.

- At each extremity-of the machine and extending from the opposite pairs of uprights 12 to the end cross beams 6 of the bed frame 1 is a beatingbench comprising a lower open frame 16 which is held in a substantially horizontal plane and has in the present instance a series of four longitudinally extendingblades or swords 17 with upper reduced edges and an upper vertically oscillatable open frame 18 having a series of three blades or swords 19 provided with lower reduced edges and longitudinally disposed to aline withthe spaces between the blades or swords 17. The lower open frame 16 is adjustably connected at its inner end between the pairs of uprights 12 through the medium of a rod or boat 20-at each side of the inner end of saidframe and engaging transversely alined openings of. a series of similar openings 21 formed in the'said members and whereby this lower frame may be adjusted vertically to adapt thesame to treating hemp of different thickness or other characteristics wherev adjustment may be required to thoroughly carry out the operation sought. The outer end of the lower frame is yieldingly sustained through. the medium of a spring '22 disposed between shims 23 located adjacent to the center of the lower edge of the'outer endfqf the franie and the center of the "end cross. beam 6 di rectly beneath said frame: end. The shims 23 may be increasedor decreased in accordance with the adjustment of the lower frame andto modify the tension of the spring22, the yielding action of the outer :end of. this lower frame being rendered positive through the medium of a rod 24 secured to the frame and extending downwardly through the springs and shims into a socket 25 in the adjacent end cross beam 6. This spring attachment or yielding Imeans serves as a spring buffer to keep the machine fronr'being choked and to assist in causing the herds to fall out during the combined action of the upper and lower frames on the hemp. The upper frame 16 is free at its outer end and is hinged or pivoted, as at 26, at its inner end between the uprights 12, the said upper frame as will be understood performing the beating action relatively to the hemp manually placed on the lower frame. The top of the upper frame at the center is provided with two longitudinal bars 27 extending full length thereof and provided with a plurality of openings 28 for the ad justable attachment therebetween of the lower end of a connecting rod 29 extending up to and attached to a wrist or crank pin 30 of a clutch wheel 31 loosely disposed on the inner end of a shaft 32 mounted in suitable bearings 33 on the upper sides of the one top beam 14 and next adjacent intermediate beam 15, the shafts 32 at opposite extremities of the machine or in corn nection with the two benches being in reverse positions, or both shafts being on the right-hand side ifleach bench is intended to be actuated by a right-hand operator. For left-hand operators the shafts may be disposed on opposite sides as will be obvious. A depending shifting lever 34 is mounted to the right of each bench and fulerumed on a bracket arm 35 projecting outwardly from the lower edge of the righthand top beam 14, and to the upper end of this lever 34 a slide rod 36 is connected and extends inwardly over the bea1n14 and adjacent intermediate beam 15 in suitable bearings 36 and secured to a fork 37 which engages a grooved shifting sleeve 38 of a disk 39 slidably keyed to the shaft 32. The disk carries pivotally mounted shoes 40 thereon, as shown by Figs. 5, 6 and 7, said shoes being secured to the sleeve 38 by rods 41 operable by reverse movements of the sleeve to move the shoes outwardly and inwardly on the disk. The disk 39 with its shoes is mounted within the clutch disk or wheel 31 which has a flange 42 for engagement by the shoes. When the shoes are spread or moved outwardly, they impinge or tightly bite against the flange 42 of the clutch disk 31. The fork 37 is moved inwardly by throwing the shifting lever 34 outwardly. and the motion of the shaft 32 through the clutch disk 39 and the shoes carried by the latter is transmitted to the clutch disk 31 and thence through the connecting rod 29 to the upper frame .18 to regularly oscillate the latter or swing the same vertically, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In suitable bearings 43 mounted on the outer top beams 14 is a transversely disposed motion-transmitting shaft 44 having a sprocket wheel 45 thereon. over which a chain belt 46 is trained and also over the drive sprocket 11 of the shaft 10 of the motor or engine. The shafts 32 at the opposite extremities of the machine and arranged. to operate the upper frames 18 of the benches each receives its motion from a sprocket wheel 47 keyed on the shaft 44 and having a. chain belt 48 engaging the same and a sprocket wheel 49 on each shaft 32, the chain belts 48 extending in reverse directions from their respective sprocket wheels 49, as shown by Fig. 1. By the operation of the clutch mechanism hereinbefore explained, the frames 18 may be simultaneously or independently operated and the operators at each end of the machine will not in the least interfere with each other in their work of feeding the machine and arranging the hemp for beating treatment. Moreover, either one or both extremities of the machine or both benches may be operated as desired or when found necessary, and when the use of one bench only is required, the clutch mechanism of the other bench may be so adjusted as to cause the frame 18 thereof to remain inactive. Moreover, the clutch mechanisms may be operated to disengage the clutch disks 31 at the time that the upper frames 18 are elevated so that the operators may conveniently arrange the hemp on the lower bed prior to the beating oscillation of the upper frames.

It will be understood that the blades or swords 17 and 19 will be so mounted that they may be readily replaced when found necessary and they will be shaped to the best advantage in effecting the beating of the hemp, and, as shown, they diverge from their outer toward their inner extremities,-

thus providing a most extended blade or sword-beating aggroupment adjacent to the inner extremities of the blades or swords.

The improved machine will be found exceptionally advantageous in thoroughly beating or treating the hemp as required to liberate the fiber thereof and will operate to give an increased output of the treated product.

I claim as my invention:

1. I11 a. hemp brake, a portable base frame, a braking bench at each extremity of the frame including a lower frame held in sub stantially horizontal position and an upper frame hinged at its inner end to move up" wardly from and downwardly toward the lower frame, the frames having cooperatingswords, main driving mechanism be tween the two benches, and independent actuating mechanism for each of the upper frames and connected to the main driving nected to the upper hinged frames for causing the said frames .to operate either simultaneously or individually and also for permitting the upper frames to be manually raised.

2. In a hemp brake, a ortable base frame, a braking bench at eac extremity of the frame including a lower frame held in a substantially horizontal position and adjustably connected at its inner end and an upper frame hinged at its inner end to move upwardly from and downwardly toward the said lower frame, the two frames having cooperating swords, main driving mechanism, and independent actuating mechanism disposed at opposite locations relatively to and connected to the main driving mechanism and respectively connected to the up per frames and independently disconnectible with relation to the main driving mech anism and said upper frames.

3. In a hemp rake, a base frame, a braking bench at each extremity oil the frame including a lower frame normally held in substantially horizontal position and vertically adjustable to vary the elevation thereof and also provided with spring cushion devices at the outer ends, and an upper frame hinged at its inner end to move upwardly from and downwardly toward and over the said lower frame, the said bench frames having cooperating swords, main driving mechanism between the two benches, and independent actuating mechanism for each of the upper frames and separably connected to the main driving mechanism for causing said frames to operate either simultaneously or individually and also for permitting the upper frames to be manually raised.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROGER EADES.

Witnesses:

J. SMITH HAYS, J. SMITH HAYS, J r, 

